Vietnam WarNovember 1, 1955- April 30, 1975

Vietnam Culture Beliefs

The Vietnamese value system is based on four basic tenets: allegiance to the family, yearning for a good name, love of learning, and respect for other people. These tenets are closely interrelated. The most important factor in the value system of the Vietnamese is, no doubt, the family. The family is the center of the Vietnamese common man's preoccupation and the backbone of Vietnamese society. By virtue of the principle of collective and mutual responsibility, each individual strives to be the pride of his family.

Misconduct of an individual is blamed not only on himself, but also on his parents, siblings, relatives, and ancestors. Likewise, any success or fame achieved by an individual brings honor and pride to all members of his family. The Vietnamese child is taught from early childhood to readily forget himself for the sake of his family's welfare and harmony..

Guerrilla Warfare and Attrition Warfare. Guerrilla warfare is a very unconventional style of warfare; it refers to small conflicts where groups of stealthy combatants use the element of surprise to eliminate the opponent. This tactic was widely used by the North Vietnamese Communists, also called the Vietcong.

Guerrilla Warfare- the use of hit-and-run tactics by small, mobile groups of irregular forces operating in territory controlled by a hostile, regular force.

Attrition warfare- a military strategy consisting of belligerent attempts to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel. The war will usually be won by the side with greater such resources.

The people of America were very unsupported of the Vietnam War. The nation had just begun to calm down from the aftermath of the Second World War, and life was just beginning to return to normal. Citizens did not support the draft, and they believed that it was morally and politically wrong for the United States to be involved in Vietnamese affairs. This oppositions caused an outbreak of riots, anti-war organizations, and tension between citizens themselves.The draft was a new concept for the American military. Prior to the draft, serving as a soldier was a volunteer opportunity.

How did Vietnam War protest influence popular music? Within two years of the 1963 song, "A Soldier’s Letter Home,” the number of Americans in Vietnam would increase dramatically. America didn’t have an all-volunteer army back then. In 1962 the government implemented the Selective Service, or “The Draft.” The song, “Fixin’ To Die Rag,” was performed by Country Joe and the Fish at Woodstock, a giant music festival that was held in upstate New York in 1969. According to Les Waffen, “it became extremely popular as a song that said everything about the public’s antagonism against the war and it sort of reflected what public opinion was all about.” Even more important, Waffen says the song also became popular with the soldiers who were fighting in Vietnam. Music allowed people to come together in a time of hurt. This brought love to ones suffering

War Propaganda - Propaganda consists of the planned use of any form of public of mass-produced communication designed to affect the minds and emotions of a given group for a specific purpose, whether military, economic, or political. With regard to war, the purpose of propaganda is to make a particular group of people forget that another group is human. By focusing on a few, simple target ideas that reinforce the notion that another group of people are harmful and inhumane, propaganda is able to unite people in an unrealistic mindset.

Anti-war marches and other protests, such as the ones organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), attracted a widening base of support over the next three years, peaking in early 1968 after the successful Tet Offensive by North Vietnamese troops proved that war’s end was nowhere in sight. The anti-war movement began mostly on college campuses, as members of the leftist organization Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) began organizing “teach-ins” to express their opposition to the way in which it was being conducted

The role of the media in the Vietnam War is a subject of continuing controversy. They argue that the media's tendency toward negative reporting helped to undermine support for the war in the United States while its uncensored coverage provided valuable information to the enemy in Vietnam.

he Defense Department reported that the overall cost of the Vietnam war was $173 billion (equivalent to $770 billion in 2003 dollars). Veteran's benefits and interest would add another $250 billion ($1 Trillion in 2003 dollars). Reports have shown that the negative effects of war on economy include increased public debt, increased levels of taxation and inflation. The picture above shows the population of the Vietnam throughout the years including the war and examining the major difference in population.

The Vietnam War affected the United States in many ways. Most immediately, it spurred policy changes. The United States ended the military draft and switched to an all-volunteer army. Beyond policy changes, the war in Vietnam changed the attitudes of a generation. First, the war increased caution about involvement in foreign affairs. After Vietnam, Americans more carefully weighed the risks of intruding in another nation's problems. Second, defeat in the war diminished American confidence in U.S. superiority, both moral and military. Defeat in Vietnam was a humiliating national Vietnam War and American Foreign Policy, 1960-1975

Reproduces many archival collections on the Vietnam War and the U.S. government, including records of the Associated Press and other media, the CIA, the State Department, the EPA, the military, the Kissinger telephone conversation transcripts on world affairs, and national security files from the, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford administrations experience.

The Vietnam Draft

On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War for men born from 1944 to 1950. Families were torn losing their loved ones to go serve in such a violent war. This may be a nation with an all-volunteer military, one that ended conscription more than 40 years ago, but federal law still requires men ages 18 to 25 to register for a draft that does not exist. There are few exemptions and no second chances. During the Vietnam War, about two-third of American troops were volunteered, the rest were selected for military service through the drafts. In the beginning of the war, names of all American men in draft-age were collected by the Selective Service System. When someone’s name was called, he had to report to his local draft board, which was made up of various community members, so that they could begin to evaluate his draft status. By this manner, local draft boards had an enormous power to decide who had to go and who would stay.

Vietnamese life is profoundly influenced by ancestor worship. Children learn at a very early age that they owe everything to their parents and their ancestors. Doing well in school and working hard honors one’s parents and the family name. Respect for parents and ancestors is extended to all elders, whose life experiences are valued.Marriage and family are very important in Vietnam. In the countryside, parents often arrange marriages; divorce remains uncommon, though is more frequent in cities. In traditional Vietnamese families, roles are rigid. The man of the house is primarily responsible for the family’s economic well-being and takes pride in his role as provider. Women are expected to submit to their husbands or to their eldest sons when widowed, and girls to their fathers. Older children help to look after younger siblings. Discipline is viewed as a parental duty, and spanking is common once children are past early childhood.

The woman of the house is referred to as nôi tuong, “General of the Interior.” She looks after her in-laws as well as her parents, husband and children. In rural areas, women also do much agricultural work. Vietnamese women live by the “four virtues”: hard work, beauty, refined speech and excellent conduct.

Reintegration into society

Veterans today in both Vietnam and United States were scared after such a traumatic depressing event. those may come back with little money and shelter to live off. After war veterans were treated no different and would come home either to their same lifestyle or complete changed due to PTSD or even financial struggles due to the economic change after war.

Purpose of the Vietnam War

to stop the spread of communism and it was used to stop the south part of Vietnam becoming communists like the north So America sent in money and all the help they could to stop Vietnam becoming a communist country. Vietnam was part of the French empire. However, during World War 2 the Japanese took over .The Vietnamese communist movement Vietminh was formed to resist the Japanese. France tried to repossess Vietnam at the end of the war but the Vietminh fought back. With the United States lending its financial support to France, when the Japanese defeated France, the United States sent money and military consultants to the non-communist government of South Vietnam

People were still judged for the way they looked and considered "different." Though white people think they held power over others America did help fight in the Vietnamese war though it was still a crucial line between white and other cultures. People were made fun of the size of their eyes or color of their skin in the civil rights movement. Blacks were separated from whites and didn't get as many advantages. People like, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, and Rosa parks are examples of leaders in the civil rights movement.